KUCHEROV VAULTS CLOSER TO CENTURY MARK WITH FIVE-POINT PERFORMANCE
Nikita Kucherov (2-3—5) registered his second five-point outing of the season (also 1-4—5 on Dec. 22, 2018 at EDM) to boost his 2018-19 totals to 29-70—99 (60 GP) and move within one of his second 100-point campaign in as many years. Kucherov, who owns a nine-point lead in the 2018-19 Art Ross Trophy race, can become the first player in franchise history to record 100 or more points in a season on multiple occasions.

* Since the 1990-91 campaign, only seven other players have recorded at least 99 points through their team’s 60th game of the season – a feat last achieved by Penguins teammates Mario Lemieux (51-71—122) and Jaromir Jagr (52-60—112) in 1995-96.

* His race to the century mark also includes at least four points in three of his last four outings. Only three players in the last 20 years have registered three such performances in a four-game span: Nisse Ekman (Dec. 30, 2005 – Jan. 10, 2006 w/ SJS), Lemieux (Jan. 17-23, 2002 w/ PIT) and Jagr (Jan. 28 – Feb. 2, 1999 w/ PIT).

* Kucherov – who has multiple points in each of his last five outings – also became the first Lightning player to reach the 70-assist plateau in a season, besting the previous mark set by Brad Richards in 2005-06 (68) and matched by Martin St. Louis in 2010-11 (68).

* There have now been 21 instances in NHL history of a player recording at least 70 assists through his team’s 60th game in a season. Kucherov joined Sidney Crosby as the only active NHL players to have accomplished the feat; the latter did so in 2006-07.

AMERICAN DUO SHINE AS BLACKHAWKS OUTLAST SENATORS
Alex DeBrincat (3-2—5) notched his first career five-point outing and Patrick Kane (1-2—3) extended his point and assist streak to 18 and 17 games, respectively, as the Blackhawks (25-26-9, 59 points) outlasted the Senators in a contest that featured 15 combined goals - including nine in the opening frame.

* With a total of 15 goals scored between Chicago and Ottawa, Monday’s game matched the highest scoring contest this season (9-6 W for CGY on Dec. 4). The last campaign to feature multiple such instances occurred in 1995-96 (PIT at BOS, Nov. 30, 1995 and SJS at PIT, Jan. 13, 1996).

* With the fourth hat trick of his career, DeBrincat trails only Alex Ovechkin (6) for the most such performances since making his League debut in 2017-18. In fact, he became the fifth player since 1988-89 to record four or more hat tricks in his first two NHL seasons.

Photo: @NHLBlackhawks

* DeBrincat boosted his season totals to 32-28—60 and joined Kane (36-54—90) as the second Blackhawks player to reach the 30-goal mark this season. The 2018-19 campaign marks the fourth season in the last 30 years in which Chicago has featured at least two 30-goal scorers through 60 games.

* Kane, who registered two of his three points in the game’s nine-goal first period, extended his point streak to a season-best 18 games dating to Jan. 3 (14-26—40). The Blackhawks leading scorer is one of only two active NHL players to record multiple point streaks of at least 18 GP (also 26 GP in 2015-16). The other: Sidney Crosby (25 GP in 2010-11 and 19 GP in 2007-08).

* The Buffalo, N.Y. native collected an assist on the first of three Debrincat tallies to also extend his run of consecutive games with an assist to 17 contests. Only two players in NHL history have posted a longer assist streak than Kane's 17-game run: Wayne Gretzky (23 GP in 1990-91) andAdam Oates (18 GP in 1992-93).

39-YEAR-OLD THORNTON NETS FIFTH CAREER HAT TRICK
After the Sharks erased a two-goal deficit in the second period, Joe Thornton (3-0—3) completed his fifth career hat trick in the final frame to help the Sharks (35-17-8, 78 points) salvage a point and keep pace with the Flames (36-16-7, 79 points) in the Western Conference standings.

* Thornton went eight years and 113 days between three-goal outings. The last player to go as long without recording a hat trick was Blake Wheeler (eight years, 357 days), scoring on Oct. 29, 2017 after last doing so on Nov. 6, 2008. Additionally, Sunday’s outing marked the 15th instance in NHL history in which a player aged 39 or older netted a hat trick, and just the eighth in the last 40 years.

GIORDANO SETS CAREER HIGH IN WESTERN CONFERENCE-LEADING FLAMES’ WIN

Mark Giordano (1-1—2) factored on each of Calgary’s first two goals as the Western Conference-leading Flames (36-16-7, 79 points) improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine home games dating to New Year’s Eve.

* Giordano boosted his 2018-19 totals to 13-44—57 (57 GP) and established a career high for points in a season, eclipsing his previous mark set in 2015-16 (21-35—56 in 82 GP). Giordano, who trails only Brent Burns (11-54—65 in 60 GP) for the scoring lead among defensemen in 2018-19, became the eighth player in the last 40 years (since 1978-79) to establish a single-season career high for points at age 35 or older.

* Giordano sits three points shy of becoming the sixth different defenseman in franchise history to record at least 60 in a season, a feat last achieved by Dion Phaneuf in 2007-08 (17-43—60 in 82 GP). Only three blueliners in NHL history have reached the 60-point mark in a season at age 35 or older: Nicklas Lidstrom (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2010-11), Al MacInnis (1998-99 and 2002-03) and Sergei Zubov (2005-06).

^Ages based on first day of respective regular season

QUICK CLICKS

* Nikita Kucherov, Vladimir Tarasenko and Sidney Crosby named Three Stars of the Week
* Lightning record second 10-game point streak of 2018-19

* Ryan Miller reflects, looks ahead after 375th win, most by U.S.-born goalie

* Home Cookin': Seth Jones' chef-taught goat cheese ravioli a hit with teammates
* Colorado’s Andrew Agozzino scores first NHL goal

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

Eleven of the 16 clubs from the Eastern Conference are in action Tuesday, including six who are among a group of six teams separated by only six points in the standings (CBJ, PIT, MTL, CAR, BUF, PHI).

* A team from the East has needed at least 80 games to clinch the final playoff spot in the conference every season under the Wild Card format (since 2013-14), with four teams solidifying a postseason berth in their 82nd game:

* In 2017-18, Claude Giroux tallied the first regular-season hat trick of his career to eclipse 100 points and propel Philadelphia into the playoffs, eliminating Florida who ended up finishing one point back of New Jersey for the final postseason berth. That day also saw Colorado defeat St. Louis in the first head-to-head showdown since 2010 featuring teams competing for the lone remaining playoff berth in a conference.

* In 2016-17, Toronto locked up the NHL’s final playoff berth in its 81st game (on the second-last day of the season), with then-rookie Auston Matthews netting his 40th goal to lift the Maple Leafs to a 5-3 victory against the Penguins.

* In 2015-16, both Detroit and Philadelphia locked up a playoff spot on the penultimate day of the season, with the Red Wings managing to clinch their 25th consecutive postseason berth despite losing its 82nd game and the Flyers winning game 81 to reach the playoffs.

* In 2014-15, Ottawa and Pittsburgh clinched the NHL’s final two playoff positions by virtue of wins on the last day of the season (April 11). The Senators, who were 14 points outside the playoff picture with 31 games remaining, closed with a 23-4-4 run including a 6-0-1 record in their final seven contests. They became the second team in the NHL history to overcome a 14-point deficit in the standings (at any point in the season) to reach the playoffs (also: 1977-88 Rangers).

* In 2013-14, Detroit and Columbus each guaranteed a trip to the postseason in their 80th game on April 9. While all Eastern Conference playoff teams were decided with four days remaining, the NHL’s final postseason berth was clinched by Dallas in its 81st game (April 11) and two playoff matchups were determined on the final day of the season (April 13).

the information above was provided by the NHL PR department